Sri Lanka’s cricket legend and renowned T20 player, Lasith Malinga, is set to take over from Kiwi veteran Shane Bond as the new fast-bowling coach of the Mumbai Indians (MI) for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Malinga, a key figure for MI, is returning to the franchise where he spent most of his IPL career after serving two seasons as the fast-bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals following his retirement in 2021.
This will mark Malinga’s second stint with the Mumbai Indians as part of the coaching staff; he previously worked as a mentor in 2018. In 2019, he made a comeback as a player and played a pivotal role in helping MI secure their fourth IPL title in the UAE. In 2021, he announced his retirement from playing in the tournament.
Shane Bond, who held the position of MI’s fast-bowling coach for the last nine seasons, starting from 2015, will be replaced by Malinga. The status of Bond’s role with MI Emirates, specifically as the head coach for ILT20, remains uncertain.
A specialist in T20 cricket with a strong record, Malinga clinched four IPL titles with Mumbai Indians (in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019) and also secured victory in the now-discontinued Champions League T20 in 2011. Notably, he was known for his expertise in the death overs. Throughout his MI career, spanning 139 matches, he took 195 wickets at an impressive average of 7.12.
In a separate change of leadership, ahead of the recently concluded IPL 2023, Mumbai Indians appointed former South African cricketer Mark Boucher as their new head coach. Despite a slow start to the tournament, Mumbai Indians managed to reach the top four in this season.
Alongside the shift in Mumbai Indians’ coaching staff, other IPL teams have also seen changes in their top management. For instance, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) brought on board former Australian cricket legend Justin Langer as their head coach, replacing Andy Flower. Additionally, ex-BCCI selector MSK Prasad joined LSG as a strategy consultant. Andy Flower, on the other hand, became the head coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), succeeding Mike Hesson. In a similar vein, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) appointed former Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori as their top boss, replacing Brian Lara.
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